MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The State Department of Education and Dollar General Literacy Foundation recently awarded Read to be Ready Summer Grants to 12 summer reading programs.
None of them were in Shelby County, where literacy remains a major issue.
Still, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation told WREG it donated $53,500 in literacy grants to Memphis area programs, separate from the Read to be Ready summer grants.
State data showed that last year, Shelby County had a third grade reading proficiency of 39.5 percent.
That data included Shelby County Schools, the state-run Achievement School District, and some municipal districts.
WREG spoke with some of the Memphis-area organizations receiving the other grant money to learn how they plan to improve literacy here.
Those organizations include Tipton County Public Library, Advance Memphis, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Memphis, House of the Good Shepherd, DeNeuville Learning Center, Literacy Mid-South, Memphis Leadership Foundation, Memphis Teacher Residency, Southwest Tennessee Community College, Su Casa Family Ministries, YMCA of Memphis and the Mid-South.
Advance Memphis is an organization that caters to adults in a low-income zip code.
It helps with job skills training and GED prep.
“This is what I want. This is something I want to do for me,” said Betty Massey, who at 68, is hitting the books to get her GED.
“Being able to connect capable adults who are ready to work with those jobs, that’s something, I think, this grant can help with,” said Advance Memphis Educational Program Supervisor Michael Shaw.
Advance Memphis received about $8,000 from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to put towards tutors, staffing, and expanded programs.
Literacy Mid-South spent Thursday training partner organizations on better ways to teach reading over the summer.
It is working with about 40 organizations to reach between 4,000 to 5,000 students who need the help.
Literacy Mid-South is getting about $3,000 that Director of Collaborative Action Sam Mattson said will go toward purchasing books for students to take home and keep.
“Access to books is a critical issue for the kids that we serve,” he said.
Of the statewide Read to be Ready grants, the state said there were 224 proposals submitted to receive grant money.
Approximately 35 of those applications came from programs in Shelby County and 10 of those came from a Shelby County school or the district itself.
However, in southwest Tennessee, Lauderdale County Schools and a program in Jackson-Madison County got that literacy funding.
The state said a team of 16 people reviewed the applications, including representatives from higher education, community organizations, Dollar General, and the Tennessee Department of Education.
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation gave a $1 million gift for the Read to be Ready grants.
